Ok, I have finished another readthrough of torn. I really am taking a break now. I will probably return to it this weekend, but for now I have moved onto Dark System. Personally I think that Dark system will be better than torn, but it is a trilogy and I wanted to start easy with this whole writing thing.

In other news, more strange dreams. I really want to figure out what is going on in my head.

Anyway next chapter.

Torn
47

Jack was scavenging for supplies. He knew that he had everything that he needed, he just didn’t know where of how much.

He was becoming increasingly agitated, and couldn’t pinpoint the cause.

He wasn’t nervous about the battle, or the war to come after.

He wasn’t hungry.

He wasn’t missing anything, he just hadn’t found it all yet.

His agitation grew, and he still hadn’t determined why it was there at all.

He paused in his search for supplies, trying to remember where everything was.

It hit him during the pause. It was too quiet.

He laughed. He had been so agitated because of a little silence.

He laughed again, this time with a sinister undertone. The problem was easily remedied.

He walked into the rear chamber of the cave, and stared at the unconscious elf on the floor. After a moment the elf started to moan and cry out in his sleep.

Jack resumed his search for supplies.

***

Jack’s agitation had yielded to frustration and anger when after more than an hour of searching he had still not found what he was looking for.

He decided that it was time for a break.

He went back into the rear chamber. The elf was still unconscious, but not for long.

He decided that he could use a little practice before the real battle. Of course he would add is own little twist to this practice.

He walked over to what little belongings he had been able to bring with him. He pulled out a vial of thick, brown liquid. He held it away from his body as he uncorked it. The smell was enough to make zombies ill.

He walked backwards toward the limp body of the elf, careful to keep the vial downwind. Once he reached the elf he lifted his head and poured the entire contents of the vial down his throat.

He let the elf fall back to the floor as he tossed the empty vial across the chamber. The glass shattered against the far wall.

Jack looked down to see the elf in convulsions. The concoction was working faster than he had expected.

He quickly made sure that his energy barrier was in place across the exit, and then he readied his own disguise.

The elf slowly regained consciousness. He moaned in pain, then slowly opened his eyes. He looked around cautiously, fearing his next encounter.

His eyes fixed on Jack.

“Dienira! What are you doing here?” the elf asked in surprise.

“Jack is gone, we have come to rescue you,” Jack replied, barely containing his laughter.

“Thank the gods. I was sure that I was as good as dead.”

“You are.”

A smile spread across Jack’s face as the elf’s eyes widened in horror. The elf couldn’t see the smile though.

What he did see was his leader being transformed into a huge spider.

Jack took a step toward the elf.

The elf saw the spider scuttle toward it.

Jack moved one arm as if to grab the elf.

The elf took off running, screaming, and blind with terror.

Jack laughed.

He merely followed the elf around the chamber for several minutes.

Several times the elf fell or ran into something in his futile attempts to escape the horror that was following him.

Jack watched as the vile concoction started to wear off. It was time to move in and finish the round.

Jack summoned he moisture in the chamber and fashioned it into water ropes. He cast them at the elf, and easily wrapped them around the terrified figure.

The elf was convinced that he was caught in the web of he spider. He struggled as he was brought toward the giant maw.

Jack laughed again.

The elf saw the jaws of the spider opening and closing with the sound of the laughter.

Jack brought the elf right up to where he saw the mouth of the spider, and made the image bite down.

The elf collapsed, overtaken by fear and weakness again.

Jack dropped the limp body to the floor, and made sure that the bad dreams would resume.

Feeling refreshed he left the chamber.

He remembered where everything was.

Chuckling he headed toward where his supplies were kept.